Overview

Zoltan Szabo's 70 Favorite Watercolor Techniques by Zoltan Szabo

Lessons of a lifetime from one of watercolor's greatest painters

Avoid problems, create better paintings and take leaps forward in your art. Learn how from Zoltan Szabo, one of the most revered watercolor teachers in America. Using the same ease of approach that made his workshops so popular, this book makes watercolor painting simple, straightforward and fun.

Product Details

About the Author

Zoltan Szabo was a well-known painter and watercolor instructor who taught workshops nationwide. He was among the first watercolor teachers to do so, and one of the first and most successful authors of watercolor instruction books. His previous North Light books include Zoltan Szabo Watercolor Techniques (1994); Zoltan Szabo’s Color-by-Color Guide to Watercolor (1998); and Watercolor Basics: Trees, Mountains and Rocks (2000).

Editorial Reviews

Szabo, a justly celebrated painter and teacher, is the author of seven previous books, including Painting Little Landscapes (Watson-Guptill, 1991). Szabo's early chapter on the qualities of transparent watercolor pigments is evidence of extensive experimentation. But his 65 years of painting watercolors and 30 years of teaching really pay off in the body of the book, where he shares many of the very specific techniques that can take decades to perfect. He doesn't merely do birch trees, he does ice on trees, frost on trees, rough tree bark, smooth tree bark, and trees in heavy snow. His chapter on reflections of light and color on a variety of wavy, choppy, and smooth water uses photographs and sketches to demystify this complicated subject. Similar books, like Ray Campbell Smith's Fresh Watercolour: Bring Light and Life to Your Painting (David & Charles, 1995), are fine for the usual trees and foliage, skies, coastal scenes, and mountains. Szabo's book, with features like his sunlight on snow compared with sunlight on wood, advances art instruction to another level. A breathtaking book; recommended for all collections.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

This is the first book that I have come across that has good instructions on how to paint things like mist, snow, water, etc. I have 2 of Mr. Szabo's books and both are so informative. If you are starting out with watercolor, his books are worthwhile to get.